Dr. Xu researches political discourse across digital platforms, focusing on how such discourse is spread through networked digital infrastructure and the impact of far-right populism and nationalism. He employs computational text models and network analysis to identify key players, influential spheres, and prominent topics in online political conversations. His work aims to foster a global public sphere that is open, vibrant, and robust, capable of countering the threats of democratic backsliding and authoritarianism.

Keywords: digital public sphere, computational methods, propaganda

Recent work-in-progress:

• Fact-checking Generative AI for Global Diasporas – A Community-based AI Audit Framework
• How News Spreads Across Asian Diasporas and Beyond – Analyzing Content Similarity and Diffusion Patterns Across AAPI Media Outlets, Far-Right Partisan Media, and State Media